Cursed
by tsusami
Summary: ch 5 up The ultimate loss- After Yuki and Tohru's marriage Kyou feels he has lost Tohru entirely, but what happens when an unexpected acquaintance tries to cheer him up? Rated for language and sexual situations. *Discontinued*
1. Joining

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. My imagination only stretches so far as to make up my own fantasies with the simple intent of borrowing their well known forms, but no I get no profit out of this so its not worth sueing. =P  
  
His fingers paused, hovering like clouds lifted airily over a landscape, too beautiful to embrace in its entirety. His heart caught in his throat, adrenaline running through his veins, spurred by such daring, while his body trembled- at the sight of a button, afraid to touch it as though the mere thought of uncovering the treasure it protected were sacrilege enough.  
  
She smiled at him gently, their eyes held each other, more intimately than any physical touch they could achieve; and in that moment of drowning in her cerulean blues he forgot his apprehension, deft fingers, oblivious to his reverence, smoothly released her from the constraint of the top button of her yellow sweater.  
  
His fingers trailed down to the next button before pausing there again, suddenly too conscious of the way her chest rose with each breath. He wondered if, beneath that rising, there was a heart pounding as fiercely as his. He wished for a moment, that he could place his ear to that sacred spot and listen, but reminded himself, with a certain degree of sadness, that such a violation would break the spell.  
  
Still, his body tingled at the thought; he shivered partly from excitement, and mostly terror. He took a deep breath in mental preparation, awed at how such a simple task could become such a trial before cautiously undoing the second button.  
  
He sighed, previously unaware that he had been holding his breath. He looked back into her smiling face; it was her infinite patience that allowed him to take all the time he desired, without shame. He had been afraid at first, and she knew that. So much intimacy when for so long he had hardly allowed himself to dream of simple love. He was frightened past his wits, in ways that somehow surpassed the memories of Akito's abuse, in his fear that his curse would somehow cause her more pain than she must already be suffering. But she had showed no signs of suffering, so lovingly patient, in her love for him, with his struggle to express his love for her.  
  
She smiled at him lovingly, giving him courage, and one by one the buttons slowly came undone. He eased the yellow fabric off the roundness of shoulders that quivered slightly under the accidental brush of his fingers.  
  
Once removed the sweater lay crumpled on the bed, forgotten in the sudden preoccupation with the white blouse he suddenly realized was the only, now seemingly too thin, separation between his hands and the unfathomable intimacy of her bare skin.  
  
His fingers hesitated at her waist, the delicate intersection between shirt and skirt, where the blouse disappeared into the shelter of blue and body warmth. He clung to the fabric softly, rubbing the silky texture between his fingers, coaxing it gently towards him.  
  
Once freed, he wasn't sure where to go from there. Suddenly anxious, his heart pounded as he imagined the next step.  
  
He really did lack composure.  
  
"Yuki?" She sensed his indecisiveness.  
  
He smiled at her, placing one hand on her cheek and, as though in answer to her unspoken question, whispered a kiss across her nose, her cheek, down to the curve of her waiting mouth.  
  
Her hand came up to his cheek, her fingers smooth against him, endearing in a way that made his cheeks flush. He could feel the slight chill of metal from her ring finger; the wedding band that bound them to each other eternally.  
  
He took her hand, kissing her fingers affectionately before bravely tugging at her blouse, easing it up over her arms like a parent undressing a child.  
  
It was selfish to keep her waiting after it had taken them so much to get here.  
  
The others had been surprised at their decision to elope so young. Shocked even more when they realized Yuki was defying Akito's demand that they give up their relationship.  
  
But he couldn't. He could no more give up his love for Tohru than he could stop breathing. Hatori, in remembrance of Kana, had decided to protect them and refused Akito's command to erase their memories.  
  
It was a quiet ceremony. Hana and Uo had attended at Tohru's request, refusing to be left out, and a far too amused Shigure and sullen Kyou came with them. He had been surprised that Kyou came. He knew that he had loved Tohru probably just as much as he did, and, though he knew Kyou came for Tohru's sake, he was grateful.  
  
Yuki's mind came back to the present in the sudden unveiling of Tohru's body. He caught his breath, his body reacting in ways he couldn't control to the sight of her pale body exposed. A light blush spread across her cheeks as he studied her intently, like the fragile beauty of sakura petals gracing the surface of her skin.  
  
He suddenly felt more self conscious than he had ever been, feeling how naked he really was under the inadequate protection of clothes. His eyes drifted, unable to tear his gaze from her neck, her shoulders, the modest swell of her breasts not shielded by white lace.  
  
His hand reached for her, fingers trembling slightly as they held her chin, leaning into her lips and kissing her more passionately than he intended.  
  
His hand slipped over the lace that wrapped around her left shoulder, slowly wandering down her side, down an untravelled path towards the smoothness of her belly.  
  
He could feel her respond to his touch, her body trembling like his own.  
  
And then it began.  
  
He wanted to hold her; to feel her warmth; to cling to her and cradle her close enough to feel her heart beat against his. Yet, in his mind he struggled against the futility of such a vain desire.  
  
Yuki struggled for control. His mind reeled in the increasingly dizzying blur of touch and warmth and consuming want. His left hand ran through her hair, soft brown strands that yielded to his every touch, placing his hand firmly against the back of her head, and kissing her roughly. She seemed startled by his passionate outburst, before yielding entirely.  
  
He could feel her passion, drinking it through her lips like a wine, his dizzying intoxication liberating him from inhibition.  
  
He was supposed to be the composed one. His mind all too aware of the curse that threatened to tear them apart should he dare get too close, but somehow his mind lost sight of that nagging voice screaming in the back of his mind that he was rapidly entering dangerous territory; the realm of passion, and selfish desire; the tyrant, reason, overthrown and trampled under the wave that now threatened to overwhelm him.  
  
His hand wandered to the small of her back, easing her onto the bed with forced patience. He nearly crushed his body to hers when, like a slap in the face, her hands pushed him away.  
  
He felt wounded at first, his body recoiling from the sudden rejection, struggling, in his confusion, to comprehend what he did wrong. But her hand touched his cheek affectionately, consoling him before he could retreat entirely. Sitting up, she placed a chaste kiss on his nose, hands drifting to unclasp the hook on his shirt.  
  
She hesitated a moment, too shy it seemed to complete what she had started and Yuki, understanding her bashfulness, relieved her of the task. The shirt came sliding smoothly, her wrists came up to his shoulders to rest there lightly. He did the same to her: the closest they would ever come to an embrace before Yuki leaned in to kiss her affectionately.  
  
But one taste and the headiness was back, only dulled by the ache, replacing passion, undulating through his body.  
  
Yuki has always been cautious. Never overly emotional, never passionate, nor exceptionally angry, even in those bouts with Kyou he went through in his teens. He had restrained all his excitements, his passions, his violent emotions as necessitated by caution. But that wasn't the Yuki he wanted to show Tohru. He wanted her to see the untamed side of the love that only she could evoke.  
  
Instead, he caressed her side with a painful caution and forced restraint. His fingers trembled when they came to the zipper of her blue skirt. Her hand covered his supportively as he slowly pulled the zipper, like tugging on the cord of a curtain about to unveil a hidden mystery. Tohru eased the skirt around her hips, squirming her way out of it clumsily.  
  
Yuki couldn't help but laugh.  
  
She looked up at him in surprise, slightly concerned slightly pink from her embarrassment.  
  
"Gomen Tohru." He ran his fingers through her hair. You really are cute."  
  
She pinked even more at this and Yuki, tension released from the laughter, nuzzled her nose playfully.  
  
He kissed her teasingly, ready to try again. 


	2. One Word

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruit's Basket. I'm really just doing this for my own sick pleasure but seeing as no one really profits from it. . . like the horoscopes in the Sunday newspaper, it's for entertainment only, . . don't sue =P  
  
It started with a whisper, melted into a breeze of warm breath that slid coolly against his heated skin.  
  
"Yuki."  
  
One word. An "I love you" etched into the endearing lilt in her voice, paling a little against the tinting sadness.  
  
One word, rolling all their emotions into a ball, dropped carefully between them before slipping onto the stillness of rumpled clothing strewn on the floor.  
  
But the pain of her voice lingered, the silent plea expressing both their longing as Yuki painfully restrained himself from embracing her entirely.  
  
One word, bittersweet to his waiting ears as he nuzzled her nose and pressed his cheek against hers apologetically. The blood rushed to meet him, pausing just below the surface of her rosy skin. His arms suddenly felt too flimsy. He hovered over her, supported by arms once strong enough to challenge Kyou's black belt but now straining to maintain the balance of his own frail frame.  
  
Instead, he focused on the dance of shadows, the moonlight streaming through the window pane to wrap itself around her: the slant of her eyes, the curve of her earlobe, the smooth hollow connecting neck and collar bone, never able to define whether it was her body shivering or lips and hands trembling, fiercely, their homage to her.  
  
But he couldn't deny her longing.  
  
One word, the only admission of wanting in all the years she'd stayed by him.  
  
One word that brought a lump to his throat, a ball of terror, excitement and anticipation choking him all at once.  
  
He thought, with some irony that Kyou would never hesitate like this, never keep her waiting like he did. His sense of rivalry slowly piqued, giving him the added courage he needed. He allowed his hands to wander. Still cautious, his fingers paused suddenly at the curve of her inner thigh.  
  
She kissed his forehead almost maternally. Her consent, though he imagined both their blushes would illuminate the dark had the moonlight not spared them.  
  
He pressed against her carefully, both muffling gasps in their timidity as that one word escaped her lips again. . .  
  
***  
  
"Yuki!"  
  
He threw his weight into it, his tension released by the small rush of power he felt as the barrier crumbled beneath his strength.  
  
"Ah!"  
  
Somewhere, outside himself came a startled yelp, surprised, no doubt, by the unexpected show of violence.  
  
His dark visage softened under the startled innocent expression of the student watching him cautiously out of the corner of her eye. She slowly made her way to a ribbon, he failed to notice, sitting in a corner, picking it up before scampering out of the dojo quickly.  
  
Kyou paid no heed to the young student, picking up the broken wooden boards and stuffing them into the waste bin forcefully.  
  
"Yuki." He grit his teeth  
  
"That bastard mouse."  
  
Twenty broken boards and still his anger threatened to overwhelm him. No show of violence, no matter how controlled, seemed to ease the fury that welled inside him.  
  
His mind turned to the image of Tohru, draped in the "dream" frock Ayame concocted for the wedding. . .a fairy tale princess stepping gracefully onto the aisle. Her face absolutely beaming at her prince. . .  
  
Kyou's fist broke the white plaster of the dojo wall. His fist red, scraped from his efforts to remove himself from the visible dent in the once smooth plane.  
  
"Shit." Shishou would get him for that one. But the gleam of her white dress haunted his mind. Suddenly the consequences seemed trivial. What was a little plaster, a little paint lost when she. . .she. . .  
  
Kyou slammed his fist into the wall again, and again. Tears threatening him with each thrust, burning his eyes and sneaking slowly past the grim line of his firmly pressed lips.  
  
A low growl was emitted from deep inside his throat.  
  
"Dammit!"  
  
I can't do this, he thought to himself resignedly. He pictured the startled expression he imagined Tohru would greet him with had she seen him and slowly the anger drained out of him. His punches slowed until they barely reached the wall. His shoulders sinking, he sighed in defeat.  
  
He had lost.  
  
***  
  
AN: I know this is a short chapter but you won't believe how hard it was to turn out this chapter. I have unbelievable writer's block. I actually tried to finish it out of guilt of someone who requested it ^^;; I'll have to rethink this story so the next update will probably be slow. It's far from over though. Sorry for being such a slow writer! Gomen gomen! 


	3. cursed

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Fruits Basket. I'm just a crazy fan. =)  
  
Kyou's feet pounded against the pavement. The blur of lights and glare of dark window shops sped through the corner of his eye. His body felt sluggish under the steady rain. But the anger fueled him. He had lost. . he had lost. . .the thoughts swirling in his mind.  
  
He recalled, with no small sense of irony, the pride he felt that day. The day he had finally beat Yuki. For years he had tried to best the deceptively frail looking boy, trained months with Shishou when he could, and it wasn't until he had nearly achieved his black belt that he had finally caught him in battle. The memory was always one to bring a smirk to his face, despite Yuki's lack of disappointment, . . his cool admission to defeat. It had taken some of the glory out of winning, but for once the others had looked at Kyou, and recognised something beyond a curse.  
  
But Kyou had failed to notice, failed to see, that while he strove so hard to win the wrong battle, Yuki was slowly winning the one that really mattered.  
  
He never truly saw it coming. One day they were all teenagers living under one roof with Shigure, their verbal banter resounding through the thin walls of a sleepy little house and the next, Kyou was taking home a black belt, and Yuki was taking home the small gold band now slipped firmly over Tohru's slender finger.  
  
He had been away for summer camp when it happened. The rush of excitement over his improvement quickly dashed under the severity of words a black belt was helpless to defend. And now, for all his achievement, he suddenly felt empty.  
  
So empty. The word itself echoing from the hollowness he felt inside.  
  
He struggled to push the blur of thoughts away, stared at the blur of his feet instead, beating fiercely against the slick road in awkward rhythm, unsure of whether it was rain or tears now clouding his vision, nor really caring. Orange hair matted down to his slightly tanned forehead, his clothes dishevelled and clinging to him slightly, as though they too shrunk from the rain while the outside world had faded. Shadowy figures melded into muddy puddles he failed to notice. . . failed to notice again, the lone figure stepping quietly into his path.  
  
****  
  
A thin layer of sweat coated his body. Short quick breaths moaned softly against the heavy patter of rain as his body gravitated towards her body, pulled by that unseen force he could not escape. Their voices cried out in unison as his body slowed with laboured breaths.  
  
But he was falling. His body colliding into hers one last time before  
  
Poof!  
  
His already flushed cheeks burned crimson. A combination of panic, frustration, . . utter mortification burned through him and for a moment he refused to look at her, lowering, instead, his purple orbs to the floor.  
  
Without a word, Tohru picked him up and gently placed him on her belly, running a finger over his soft fur and giggling softly.  
  
"Yuki," she paused and blushed, contemplating, as though she were using it for the first time, the intimacy of the word.  
  
Yuki looked up in surprise at her bemused smile, the contemplative expression lit up by the utter radiance with which she now glowed in the dappled moonlight.  
  
"Aishiteru." She looked at him.  
  
A jolt ran through him. Mingled love, gratitude and heart ache ate at his heart as he clambered off her belly. He reddened slightly at her giggles and lay down beside her.  
  
"Aishiteru," he murmured softly, wishing almost impatiently that he could run his fingers through her hair as he said it. Or embrace her closely. . .  
  
He smiled at her bittersweetly. Was this how it was always going to be? Is this how it's always been. . . the generations before him living under the touch of the juunishi. . .destined always to live with the heartache of holding their loved ones at arms length; to be so close and yet worlds apart. Was this what it meant to be. . .  
  
***  
  
Cursed.  
  
His clothing scattered on the floor, his damp fur sat matted against him in a frozen moment of silence. Merely the steady patter of rain interrupted the late night stillness of the slumbering street.  
  
A girl was outstretched on the wet ground, knocked down by the impact of their colliding bodies. Kyou looked at her grumpily, glimpsing pale skin under the strands of straight blonde hair draped over her face. He would have scampered off before she stirred had he not been trapped under her.  
  
He scowled at her unnoticed before she slowly began to stir. She propped herself up with one hand, freeing the other to grasp her head as she moaned in complaint. She looked around, confused for a moment, perplexed over how she ended up on the ground, before her eyes widened, startled, no doubt, by being scowled at by an orange cat.  
  
"Oi, Yankee," he glared. "Get off my tail."  
  
***  
  
A/N: thank you everyone who reviewed. It's really a motivator. Otherwise I would have forgotten all about my story ^^;  
  
Aki- thanks for all the support. I'll try to get working on my other story too =P San San- hehe, don't worry about the spelling. I got the idea. ^_~ Everyone else- the writer's block is temporarily defeated. I know where to start for the 4th chapter now =) 


	4. repartee

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruit's Basket, I'm not trying to steal Fruit's Basket, I'm just writing a little fan fic to appease the fans.  
  
As Tohru's best friend, Uotani was NOT someone he'd been hoping to run into, but considering that she was already familiar with the Sohma family affliction, he had been lucky that she was the one he ran into.  
  
Incapable of imagining how the day could possibly get any worse, Kyou was now trapped against his will, bundled in his own clothing and firmly snuggled in the crook of Uotani's arm.  
  
"Oi, Yankee, put me down!" he hissed.  
  
"Urusai!" she whispered menacingly. "You're lucky no one saw us collide you baka neko. Look where you're going next time!"  
  
"You're the one that ran into me stupid yankee!" His less than short temper flared, "coming out of no where, jumping right into my path! How the hell am I supposed to stop and see you anyway?"  
  
"You're the one with the night vision you dumb cat. Now stop yelling! How many talking cats do you see running around the country?"  
  
Kyou scowled at her in outrage, turning his head uncomfortably the other way and proceeded to ignore her rather than acknowledge the validity of her words. Meanwhile Uotani held him tightly against her, making sure the continuous body contact prevented him from transforming back into his human self.  
  
He continued to scowl, muttering over the discomfort of being smashed against her, noting somewhere, in the back of his crowded mind, the warmth of her body, the comforting way she held him close. . .  
  
Horrified, he vanquished the thought immediately, dismissing it as the imaginings of a feverish mind. With forced effort, he renewed his determination to sulk rebelliously, protesting with outrage at being treated like a helpless kitten that could not find it's own way home.  
  
The patter of rain did nothing to soothe him. Nor did it alleviate the tension between them. Kyou hated the rain.  
  
Uo paused in front of a tall apartment building and, with some creativity, using her legs to balance her packages and slightly squishing Kyou in her attempt to not drop him, she successfully fished her keys out of her pocked one handedly and opened the entrance door.  
  
Kyou bit back his scalding remark at his rough treatment only because he knew it wouldn't help them get inside any faster. Trapped in his clothes and no longer able to run, his damp fur was starting to make him shiver. Yep. He remembered now why he hated the rain.  
  
They ascended the flight of stairs in strained silence. Almost a game. Each one waiting for the other to crack and snap at the other first, but Kyou was determined to sulk.  
  
She put her bags down on the floor carefully and placed the key in the lock. Kyou noted, with some slight sense of guilt, the now rumpled damp paper bag peeking out of the plastic one she now used to hold it. Some of her packages had not escaped unscathed.  
  
Uo suddenly reclaimed her bag, covering up the parcels inside once more and Kyou was ushered into a small one bedroom apartment. She placed the bag on the low table in the center, contents slumping over while Kyou was nearly tossed onto the futon in the corner.  
  
He stumbled a little, still being tangled up in his clothing and not quite able to land on his feet properly. He hissed at her as soon as he gained his balance, shaking free of his now soggy clothes and spitefully settling his damp furry self onto the white futon.  
  
"Dammit! I knew I shouldn't have you put you down there, you're getting my futon all wet. And dirty!"  
  
"Well you didn't have to throw me you stupid yankee!"  
  
"You prefer I throw you on the floor next time?!"  
  
"I know how to walk, I don't need to you fucking carry me!"  
  
"And what? Transform right in the middle of the street where everyone can see you?"  
  
"Who the hell is out at this hour? It's not like anyone was there to see me!"  
  
"I was out there wasn't I? And what the hell were you doing running at this hour in the rain?!"  
  
"None of your damn business! I can do what I fucking feel like doing!"  
  
"Then at least be a little more responsible! Not even looking where you're going and running into. . ."  
  
Poof!  
  
***  
  
A/N: Yeah. . that update took long, but I'm studying abroad right now so I've been well. . studying and travelling. I know that chapter was kind of short but I wasn't sure where to end it so I figured I'd end it mid argument with a yummy naked Kyou on Uo's bed ^_~ What will happen next? Hrm. . I'm still deciding actually 0.o But thanks for the reviews everyone. Sorry to make you wait so long for the updates. 


	5. turning

Kyou crossed his arms, turning his head to Uotani in annoyance. He could feel her astonishment, noting her open mouthed stare in the corner of his eye.  
  
"You can stop staring at me now. You act like you've never seen a man before."  
  
Her mouth snapped in indignation as she turned her head quickly, averting her eyes to the floor while her cheeks flushed crimsom.  
  
"Urusai! Like I'd be interested in your puny body anyways!"  
  
Kyou sneered, pulling his soggy white shirt over his head.  
  
"Well you certainly took your time turning around!"  
  
"People tend to freeze up when they're horrified! I'm surprised you don't know the difference!"  
  
Uotani rushed towards the bathroom, jumping at the sound of skin and wood colliding.  
  
An arm blocked her way. Prayer beads rattled slightly as Kyou's eyes stared into hers, cold and furious.  
  
"You want to *see* horrifying? Take off that bracelet. I can show you what `horrifying' really is."  
  
Uotani opened her mouth to respond, but paused. She lowered her eyes in guilt.  
  
"Che."  
  
Kyou moved away from her and resumed dressing himself.  
  
Placing his shoes back on, he then reached for the door.  
  
"Wait."  
  
"What now?" he scoffed.  
  
"You're going to get sick if you go out like that. It's still raining."  
  
"I'll survive."  
  
"Baka neko! Can't you ever listen to reason?"  
  
"Sure. When I find someone that has it."  
  
"Stop being such an ass and just stay here will you!"  
  
"Yeah? How you going to make me?"  
  
Smack!  
  
In a few strides, Uotani had crossed the distance between them. Kyou held his red cheek, shocked at the sting of it.  
  
"What the hell was tha. . oompf"  
  
Kyou's eyes widened in shock. Pressed against the door, bodies no more than a breath apart, she kissed him.  
  
***  
  
A/N: A bit long winded, but I ran into some writer's block ><; Please review, someone. . anyone, to let me know how this is going. For some reason this chapter just seemed to suck =/ 


End file.
